Trees on the Yale Nature Walk

Tree ID: 164
Date of tree entry: February 8, 2024
Hi! My name is Sourwood and I am an American, most likely to be found in the Appalachian Mountains. I am a hard-core dicot with my roots taking hold from mountainous Pennsylvania down to northern Florida. I'm a movie connoisseur, but wood like to branch out and explore different genres. Send me recommendations! As a true American, some of my favorites are Tree Movie, Forrest Gump, and Roots. All recommendations are welcome! Outside of my love for cinema, a fun fact about me is that I belong to the blueberry family! I've come to Yale to turn over a new leaf, but unfortunately this meant leaving my family behind. I can get lonely sometimes, but I love having visitors. To find me, head to Marsh and Farnam Gardens. I'm the handsome redhead on the clearing of the slope, right next to a white bench.
2/8
Tree ID: 165
Date of tree entry: February 8, 2024
Hello, hello! My name is Ilex opaca, but my friends like to call me Lex. My species is dioecious – I identify as a lady. I am from the Southeastern United States, and am a huge fan of the moist soils that this region has to offer. I can be found along the East Coast from Massachusetts to Delaware, though I like to vacation in sunny Florida and have gone as far West as Eastern Texas. I am better known as American Holly for the vibrant red berries I produce in the fall and winter time, and I’m pretty famous for it (if I do say so myself) – the word "holly" is mentioned in over a thousand Christmas songs (according to https://www.lyrics.com/lyrics/CHRISTMAS%20HOLLY) including familiar favorites like “Holly Jolly Christmas” and the tradition carol “Deck the Halls”. However, as we’ll see, I’ve been involved in several other spiritual and medicinal traditions throughout history.
Tree ID: 163
Date of tree entry: February 8, 2024
The Kentucky Yellowwood (also known as American Yellowwood or simply the “Yellowwood”) as its name suggests, is found throughout the South-Eastern United States, primarily Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas although it is rare in the range. It is typically small to medium sized, although it can grow to be 30-feet high with a canopy area of 40-55 feet. It is a dicot and deciduous, meaning it loses its leaves in the winter. “Yellowwood” is a reference to the yellow color of its wood when it's been freshly cut, and its leaves change to a bright yellow during the fall. It’s a slightly late bloomer, flowering in late spring like in early June.
Picture of entire sawtooth oak
Tree ID: 162
Date of tree entry: February 7, 2024
This sawtooth oak is found near the bottom of the hill by the Marsh Botanical Gardens. It has a relatively thick trunk and is flanked by two smaller trees.
Tree ID: 157
Date of tree entry: February 7, 2024
The Limber Pine, of the family Pinaceae and the genus Pinus, is an evergreen gymnosperm native to the Rocky Mountains of Western U.S. and Canada. Limber pines range from 7-12 m in height and 60-90 cm in diameter; they have needle-shaped, dark-green leaves, light-gray bark that becomes red-brown with age, and resinous, flexible branches. They thrive in subalpine habitats (10,000 to 11,500 feet in elevation), but are remarkably adaptable due to their tolerance to cold and drought. They are monoecious, with clustered yellow-brown staminate cones and woody, deep-brown ovulate cones that give rise to winged seeds. The seeds (pine nuts) and inner bark of Limber Pines are food sources for various animals, most notably nutcrackers and squirrels, who in turn aid in seed distribution. The branches of the Limber Pines also serve as a habitat for various animals and rodents, providing protection from predators and adverse weather conditions. Limber Pines can take several hundred years to reach maturity and can live for over 1000 years. Though Limber Pines are evergreen, fertilization of ovulate cones only occurs in late spring, and seed dispersal mainly occurs in the fall. Though Limber Pine wood is not suitable for commercial timber harvesting, its timber has been used for cabins, fencing, mining, and firewood. Limber Pines bear pine nuts, which have a wide variety of culinary applications in foods like pesto, salads, granola, and various baked goods. Not factoring in human activity, the greatest risk to Limber Pine populations is disease: both white pine blister rust (a common fungal disease in pines) and dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium Cyanocarpum) are leading causes of Limber Pine mortality.
Tree ID: 156
Date of tree entry: February 7, 2024
This Scots Pine is located in the Marsh Botanical Gardens. In late winter, it has sparse leaves, many pine cones, and laterally extending branches. In spring, it has more cones, sap, and its needles look slightly more green. It is near the street side of the gardens, and has some broken branches. Its bark is red/brown, and this tree grows best in slightly acidic pHs, close to neutral pH.
Tree ID: 155
Date of tree entry: February 7, 2024
Also known as the blackgum, the black tupelo is a slow-growing deciduous tree known for its vibrant autumn leaves and highly-sought after honey. Black tupelos are successful at attracting pollinators like bees to their flowers and birds and small mammals to their fruits. Black tupelos are native to Connecticut and can be found anywhere from southern Ontario to Mexico.
Tree ID: 159
Date of tree entry: February 7, 2024
Tree ID: 158
Date of tree entry: February 7, 2024
This Eastern White Cedar is planted right in front of Marsh Hall along the path to the front door of the building. Surveyors have declared that this tree's name is Holly. It is near a few other trees and flowers, though surveyors agree that Holly is the best plant among them because she is a majestic cedar tree with a cone shape and evergreen foliage.
Tree ID: 161
Date of tree entry: February 7, 2024
Metasequoia glyptostroboides is a coniferous tree native to the Sichuan-Hubei region of south-central China. It was thought to have been extinct for millions of years; in fact, even until the early 1940s, Metasequoia glyptostroboides was only known by fossil record. In 1946, a group of botanists in China discovered a living specimen in the western Hubei province. The discovery of this "living fossil" made international headlines, and ever since, dawn redwood—as it is referred to colloquially—has been the embodying symbol of conservation .

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